Trimming apparatus with divergent scrap removal



June 29,

1965 J. J. GREvlcH ETAL 3,191,474

TRIMMING APPARATUS WITH DIVERGET SCRAP REMOVAL June 29, 1965 J. J. GRI-:vlcH ETAL 3,191,474

TRIMMING APPARATUS WITH DIVERGENT SCRAP REMOVAL Filed Oct. 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wie?? imm nw "L Yum f@ u,

United States Patent 3,191,474 TRIMMING APPARATUS VWITH DIVERGENT SCRAP REMOVAL John .1. Grevich, Star Prairie, and Stanley D. Denker, New Richmond, Wis., assignors to Doughboy Industries, Inc., New Richmond, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Oct. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 231,653 2 Claims. (Cl. S3-107) This invention relates to flexible sheet material trimming apparatus and more particularly relatespto apparatus for trimming the edges of sheet material to be employed in bags and the like.

When sheet material has been formed into tubular condition for .the formation of bags, and alternatively when bags have been lled with material, it is desirable that the edges of a bag of sheet material be trimmed so as to facilitate subsequent bag-closing procedures. This is particularly true with regard to sheet material which is of heat-scalable nature.

In the past, such devices as have been used for/trimming of such bags have been inadequate in several respects, but one of the primary disadvantages of prior art devices has been that the trimming devices have failed to produce a smooth andv uniform edge such as to facilitate the subsequent procedures in a high speed bag-closing operation. Furthermore, it has been found that the devices used in the actual cutting have necessarily been frequently replaced for sharpening.

It is to the elimination of these and other disadvantages terial bag smoothly and uniformly with sucient accu-I racy `and sufficient speed as to facilitate use with other` high speed bag-closing equipment.

Another object of our invention is to provide an improved and novel bag top-trimming apparatus wherein the edges pro-duced .are smooth and uniform and wherein the material-cutting elements maintain themselves in an extremely sharp condition with -only a minimum of attention thereto as to eliminate `the need for frequent replacement `of the cutting elements.

A still further object of our invention is the provision of a bag top-trimming apparatus wherein the edges produced in the trimming operation are smooth and uniform so as to facilitate subsequent trimming of said edges in the bag-closing procedures, and wherein the scrap removed in the trimming operation is disposed of so as to prevent subsequent interference between said scrap and the sheet material bags being trimmed and thereby avoid subsequent complications in the bag-clo-sing procedures.

These and other objects and advantages of our invention will more fully .appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing-s wherein like reference characters refer to similar part-s throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. l is a top plan view of the invention with portion-s thereof broken away for clarity of detail;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation View of the invention with pontio-ns thereof broken .away for clarity of detail;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of lthe invention with portions thereof bro-ken `away for clarity of detail;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation view of the invention with -portions thereof broken away for clarity of detail and with certain of the apparatus in the background deleted;

FIG. 5 is Ka detail section View of the invention taken g 3,191,474 Patented June 29, 1965 ice onda line -as indicated substantially at 5-5 in FIG. 1; an

FIG. 6 is a detail perspective view illustrating one form of apparatus for supplying the bags into the trimming apparatus.

One form of the trimming apparatus is shown in the drawings and is described herein. The trimming aparatus is indicated in general by numeral 10 and includes a frame 11, which .includes a pair of ila-t rigid plates 12 and 13 disposed in a common plane and in side-by-side relation with each other. The edges 12a and 13a are space-d from each other so as to define an elongate guideway 14 therebetween. The portion 14a of the guideway extends in the longitudinal direction of travel indicated by arrow A of the bags B passing through the trimming apparatus, and the por-tion 1411 of the guideway extends transversely of the portion 14a so as to permit travel of the scrap strip S of sheet material that is removed during the trimming operation.

'Ihe frame 11 also includes rigid mounting blocks 15 and 16 which `are aixed as by -screws 17 `to the plates 12 and 13 for maintaining said plates in said predeterthat the rigid blocks 15 and 16 and the frame plate 1S extend across the guideway 14 and thereabove.

The apparatus 10 is provided with a pair of at `and hardened sharp-edged sheet material-shearing discs 20 and 21 disposed in overlapping and engaged relation with each other. The cutting discs 20 land 21 lie in generally parallel but slightly angular relation with each other so as to engage each other only at the point of convergence 22 at the leading end of the area of overlap between the discs toward which the bag B is carried. It will be seen that the disc 21 underlies the disc 20 and it will be understood that whereas the disc 20 lies substantially hor-' izontally, the disc 21 is slightly inclined so that the side 21a thereof is very slightly above the elevation of the side 21b thereof. The magnitude of the angular 4relation between the discs is extremely small and is substantially incapable of being illustrated. However, the angulation is such as to produce engagement between the discs primarily at Ithe point of convergence .therebetween .at the leading end ofthe area of overlap.

lt will further be noted that the discs are staggered slightly in relation to each other along the direction A of bag travel and for purposes hereinafter more fully pointed out.

The cutter disc 20 is aixed as by washer 23 and screw 24 to the end of rotary mounting shaft 25 which extends upwardly into and is journalled in the rigid mounting block 1S, and is secured therein by a locking screw 26.

The shaft 25 also has a chain sprocket 27 affixed thereon for` rotating the shaft and cutter disc 20 by operation of the drive and sheet material conveying chain 28 as hereinafter more fully described.

The cutting disc 21 is similarly secured by washer 29 and screw 30 to a rotary drive shaft 31 which is journalled in a swingable mounting block 32 and is secured therein by the locking screw 33. The shaft 31 also has a chain sprocket 34 aiiixed thereon for driving the rotary dise 21 under influence of the drive and sheet material conveying chain 35 as hereinafter more fully described. The movable cutter mounting block 32 is swingable through a limt ited arc about the axis of pivot rod or hinge pin 36 which extends through a bearing aperture 37 in the block 32 and secured by a collar 38. The hinge pin 36 is formed in- Vtegrally with, but disposed concentrically of the cylindrical mounting end portion 39 which extends through bearing aperture 40 in the mounting block 15. The mounting end portion 39 is rotatable in the aperture 49 and is retained against endwise movement and against rotation byy set screw 41 which extends into a groove 42 in the cylindrical surface of the mounting portion 39 of the hinge pin. It will be noted that the hinge pin 36 is provided with a screw driver slot i2 so as to facilitate rotation of tl e hinge pin in the mounting block 15 when said screw 41 is loosened in order to effect raising and lowering of the mounting block 15.

Means are provided for continuously urging the tiltable lower disc-21 upwardly into engagement with the stationary rotary disc 2t) and in the form shown, such means comprise a tension spring 43 secured at its upper end to an adjustable pin i4 secured by nut 45 in an aperture of bracket 4e which is affixed as by welding to the upstand-k ing frame plate 13. The lower end of spring i3 is connected to a pin 47 which is atiixed at the top of movable mounting block 32.

Means are provided for conveying the bags B to the cutting discs Z9 and 21 and retaining the upper edge portion of the bags in substantially planar condition during the trimm-ing operation and in the form shown, such means includes the chains 2S and 35 which are continuous and which are guided along the guideway 14. and around continuous paths. It will be noted that in the runs 35a and 2da of the chains, the chains are disposed in facetoface and engaged relation with each other so as to clamp s the bag B along its upper edge and carry the bag to the cutting discs 2id and 21 and then carry the scrap of said material removed from the bag transversely away from the bag whichwill thereafter be entirely supported and conveyed by other means such as the bag-gripping conveyor chains 48 and 49 illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 6 and in FIG. 2' and which may comprise a portion of a cooperating bag-sealing machine. It should be understood that the bag B might as well be independently supported at its bottom by a belt type conveyor or even by hand, but the nature of the conveyor illustrated by chains 48 and 039 is not critical to the present invention. As the bag continues to travel in the direction of arrow A, the strip of scrap S removed from the bag by the cuttingfdiscs at 22 is retained by the chains 2S and 35, and is transported in the direction of arrow W to be disposed or" at a location well away from bag B.

Chain 2S is trained around the sprocket 27, around a guide roller t) and around a drive sprocket 51. The guide roller 50 is adjustably mounted onan eccentric bearing 52 which is carried by an adjustable slide block 53, the position of which is controlled by thumb screw 5d acting in cooperation with spring 55 and the frame plate 18. Chain 28 is also guided by a stationary guide block 56 aixed to the frame plate 13 and by guide rollers 57 and 58, both adjustably mounted on the frame plate 13 by eccentric bearing 59 and a slide block 50 respectively. The chain 35 is meshed with the disc driving sprocket 34 as the chain substantially tangentially travels therealong and is trained around guide rollers 61 and 62 and drive sprocket 63.

Guide rollers d1 and 62. as well as guide roller 64 are adjustably mounted and journalled by eccentric bearing 65 secured to the frame plate 12. The chain 35 is also guided by a stationary block 66 which maintains the chain 3S in confronting relation against the chain 28 as thel chain 28 passes around the sprocket 27. Chain 35 is also guided by the stationary guide Lblock 67 which is disposed opposite the guide block 56 for maintaining the chains 28 and 35 in sheet material-clamping relation with each other.

The drive sprockets 51 and 63 are respectively affixed Vto the drive shafts 68 and 69 which are journalled in the mounting block 16 and which have identically sized pinion gears 7@ and 71 affixed thereon and meshed with each other. The shaft 63 also has a sprocket 72 aixed on the upper endA thereof and in driven relation with a drive chain 73 which is driven from a sprocket 74 on shaft 75 which is journalled at its upper and lower ends by a bracket structure 76 which is secured to the stationary mounting block by a screw 77. The bracket 76 is vertically adjustable with respect to the screw 77 which extends through the elongate Slot 78 in the upright portion 76a of the bracket. Vertical adjustment of the bracket '76 is controlled by the adjustment screw 79, the lower end of which fbears against the top of mounting block 15. Shaft 75 also has a sprocket 79 secured thereon and driven by a drive chain 8b which supplies rotary power thereto from a source of power such as motor 81.

lt will be understood that the motor 81 may comprise or also may be, drivably connected with other apparatus with which the trimming apparatus 1t) is related.

In operation the bag B is supplied into the portion 14a of the guide way and the upper edge portion is immediately received and clamped, and. conveyed along by the cooperating chains 35 and 28. The sheet material of the bag B will subsequently engage the cutting discs 20 and 21 at the point of engagement 22 at which time the cutting discs engage each other and revolve against each other to produce a shearingaction. The lilm material in the bag B is sheared at this point of convergence 22, whereupon the lower portion of the bag B is released from the small severed strip S which is continued along the conveyor and conveyed transversely outwardly away from the bag B.

It will be understood that at the point of convergence 22 of the cutting discs, there will be some wearing of the discs. The slightly angular relation between the discs and limited engagement between the discs at the point of convergence produces substantially even wear on each of the discs and minimizes the dulling of the discs due to engagement of the sharp edges. As any wearing occurs, the spring 43 continues to maintain the discs in shearing relation with each other.

After a substantial period of usage and when it is detected that cutting could be improved, the eccentric hinge pin 36 is rotated slightly so as to lower the movable block 32 and increase the angular relation between the discs 26 and 21, whereupon frustro-conical or somewhat tapered surfaces formed around the discs are essentially disengaged from each other and the discs are again in engagement with each other only at the peripheral edge. The eccentric hinge pin is adjusted, the actual magnitude of movement of the mounting block 32 is relatively small and sufficiently small as to prevent any material change in the relationship of sprocket 34 to the chain 35.

' It will be seen that we haveV provided an improved bag top-trimming apparatus wherein the cutting discs have a self-sharpening eiect upon each other and wherein only an infrequent small adjustment is desirable to maintain the cutting discs operating at maximum efficiency; and also wherein the bag itself is positively gripped and maintained in planar condition when fed into the cooperating material-shearing edge portions of the cutting discs so as to produce uniform and smooth severed edges, and whereupon the scrap removed is carried transversely away from the area of cutting. Y

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be vmade in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of our invention which consists of the matter shown and described herein and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

' 1. Apparatus for trimming the edges of exible sheet materialas in bags and the like, comprising a frame,

irst and second juxtaposed rotary cutting discs oriented generally horizontally, said first disc overlying said second disc in generally parallel but slightly angular relation therewith, said discs having sharp-edged material-shearing peripheral portions in lapped relation with each other along an elongate and narrow area, said elongate area of overlap having a leading 5 end defining a point of convergence at which th sharp-edged peripheral portions of the discs engage each other for shearing the sheet material supplied thereto,

mounting means journalling said first disc on the frame,

mounting means journalling said second disc and pivotally connecting the second disc to the frame for swinging movement about a horizontal pivot axis mounting means journalling said rst disc on the frame,

mounting means journalling said second disc and pivextending generally transversely of said elongate l Sheet material gripping and conveying means on the and narrow area of overlap, said pivot axis being frame and including first and second conveyor chains spaced from said point of convergence in a direcextending and moving along a conveyor run fortion generally parallel to said elongate area, wardly toward and above the point of convergence elongate sheet material gripping and conveying means of said discs carrying the sheet material thereto, on the frame and above said discs and in closely l said conveying run extending along and above said spaced relation with said discs and holding the edge area of overlap and thence transversely and outportion of the sheet material in substantially upright wardly away from said discs, said chains being discondition, said conveying means extending and movposed in parallel, contiguous, and sheet material ing generally parallel of `and toward said elongate gripping relation with each other along said conveyarea of overlap and toward said point of convergence ing run for suspending the sheet material and confor moving the sheet material to the discs for cutveying the material into the point of convergence for ting, said conveying means also extending rearwardcutting and thence carrying the scrap removed transly from said point of convergence along said elon- Versely away from the remainder of the sheet magate area of overlap and thence transversely of said terial, elongate area and outwardly from said discs for means resiliently urging said discs toward each other carrying the upper edge of scrap sheet material to maintain the discs in engagement with each other away from the area of the overlap, at the point of convergence,

means resiliently urging said discs toward each other means for vertically adjusting the location of said pivot O malta'in the dSCS in engagement With eaCh other n axis to facilitate changing of the angle between said at the P0111 t 0f CODVTgQD, o discs when the discs have been worn and thereby immeans for vertically ad1usting the location of said pivot prove the cutting action of the discs,

axis to facilitate .changing the angle between said and a pair of chain sprockets each secured to a ,lscs when the C hscs hfve been Wm and thereby spective disc and engaged by said conveyor chain to Improve the cut/[mg actlon Of.the.d1scs 35 be rotatedthereby and move the sharp-edged periphandftary means s.ecured to sald dlscs Eind coimected eral portions of the discs toward and through said WH Sad conveymg means :ind revolvmg Said dlscs point of convergence and in the general direction to move the sharp-edged peripheral portions thereof f t 1 th h 1 .d d toward and through said point of convergence and o rave o e coliveyoi c Eims a (mg Sal run an in the general direction of travel of the conveyor at a speed substantially identical to that of the conmeans and at a speed substantially identical to that 40 Veyor chams' of the conveyor means.

2. Apparatus for trimming the edges of flexible sheet References Cited by the Examiner material as in bags and the like, comprising UNITED STATES PATENTS a frame,

rst and second juxtaposed rotary cutting discs oriented 413608 10/89 Beardslee et al 83-430 generally horizontally, said second disc underlying 577985 3/97 Koegel 83-501 X said rst disc in generally parallel, but slightly angu- 2310382 2/43 A uen 53-372 X lar relation therewith, said discs having sharp-edged 2,6 06856 S/S Plazze 53-373 X material-shearing peripheral portions in lapped rela- 5G Islgelj-e' tion with each other along an elongate and narrow 3,015,920 1/62 Saumsiegle 53 372 X area having a leading end toward which the sheet material is supplied, said leading end defining a point of convergence at which the sharp-edged peripheral ANDREW R JUHASZ Pnmary Examiner' portions of the discs engage each other and shear DONALD R. SCHRAN, Examiner.

the sheet material supplied thereto, 

1. APPARATUS FOR TRIMMING THE EDGES OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL AS IN BAGS AND THE LIKE, COMPRISNG A FRAME, FIRST AND SECOND JUXTAPOSED ROTARY CUTTING DISCS ORIENTED GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY, SAID FIRST DISC OVERLYING SAID SECOND DISC IN GENERALLY PARALLEL BUT SLIGHTLY ANGULAR RELATION THEREWITH, SAID DISCS HAVING SHAPE-EDGED MATERIAL-SHEARING PERIPHERAL PORTIONS IN LAPPED RELATION WITH EACH OTHER ALONG AN ELONGATED AND NARROW AREA, SAID ELONGATED AREA OF OVERLAP HAVING A LEADING END DEFINING A POINT OF CONVERGENCE AT WHICH THE SHAPE-EDGED PERIPHERAL PORTIONS OF THE DISCS ENGAGE EACH OTHER FOR SHEARING THE SHEET MATERIAL SUPPLIED THERETO, MOUNTING MEANS JOURNALLING SAID FIRST DISC ON THE FRAME, MOUNTING MEANS JOURNALLING SAID SECOND DISC AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE SECOND DISC TO THE FRAME FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT ABOUT A HORIZONTAL PIVOT AXIS EXTENDING GENERALLY TRANSVERSELY OF SAID ELONGATE AND NARROW AREA OF OVERLAP, SAID PIVOT AXIS BEING SPACED FROM SAID POINT OF CONVERGENCE IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID ELONGATED AREA, ELONGATE SHEET MATERIAL GRIPPING AND CONVEYING MEANS ON THE FRAME AND ABOVE SAID DISCS AND IN CLOSELY SPACED RELATION WITH SAID DISCS AND HOLDING THE EDGE PORTION OF THE SHEET MATERIAL IN SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT CONDITION, SAID CONVEYING MEANS EXTENDING AND MOVING GENERALLY PARALLEL OF AND TOWARD SAID ELONGATE AREA OF OVERLAP AND TOWARD SAID POINT OF CONVERGENCE FOR MOVING THE SHEET MATERIAL TO THE DISCS FOR CUTTING, SAID CONVEYING MEANS TO THE DISCS FOR CUTLY FROM SAID POINT OF CONVERGENCE ALONG SAID ELONGATE AREA OF OVERLAP AND THENCE TRANSVERSELY OF SAID ELONGATED AREA AND OUTWARDLY FROM SAID DISCS FOR CARRYING THE UPPER EDGE OF SCRAP SHEET MATERIAL AWAY FROM THE AREA OF THE OVERLAP, MEANS RESILIENTLY URGING SAID DISCS TOWARD EACH OTHER TO MAINTAIN THE DISCS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER AT THE POINT OF CONVERGENCE, MEANS FOR VERTICALLY ADJUSTING THE LOCATION OF SAID PIVOT AXIS TO FACILITATE CHANGING THE ANGLE BETWEEN SAID DISCS WHEN THE DISCS HAVE BEEN WORN AND THEREBY IMPROVE THE CUTTING ACTION OF THE DISCS, AND ROTARY MEANS SECURED TO SAID DISCS AND CONNECTED WITH SAID CONVEYING MEANS AND REVOLVING SAID DISCS TO MOVE THE SHARP-EDGE PERIPHERAL PORTIONS THEREOF TOWARD AND THROUGH SAID POINT OF CONVERGENCE AND IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE CONVEYOR MEANS AND AT A SPEED SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL TO THAT OF THE CONVEYOR MEANS. 